The Deep Time Trilogy: Just Pretend
by pammazola
Summary: A gift for tkplover. Young Rin finally gets the great daiyoukai to spend some quality playtime with her. 10 years later, Sesshomaru decides to show just how much he can love his little Lady of the West. M for tasty smut at the end. Enjoy!


**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

**I've decided to dedicate this to my good friend tkplover, for giving such great advice and encouraging me in my writing. You're truly an amazing person, so why not treat yourself to a little Sessho/Rin smut?**

**I'm debating just to leave this as a one-shot. I think the ending is perfect the way it is.**

**The First Installment of the _Deep Time Trilogy:_**

**Just Pretend**

Part I

"Sesshomaru-sama!"

"What is it, Rin?"

The dog demon opened one golden eye to see the girl leaning over him. He had been meditating beneath one of the oak trees near their campsite. He was slightly taken aback by her closeness.

"What are you doing, Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Thinking."

"About what?"

A great many things actually. The powerful daiyoukai had much to contemplate these days, many of which revolved around the following: killing Inuyasha, stealing the Tetsusiaga, defeating Naraku… killing Inuyasha. And Ah-Un could use a bath today.

Opening his other eye, Sesshomaru considered the human girl, taking in her small stature; petite fingers that were twirling a lock of her brown hair. Two big puppy dog eyes gazed down at him.

Any other than the Great Dog Demon would've instantly begun swooning over the darling little girl, showering her with affection and undivided attention with complete abandoning.

_Ah-Un is really starting to smell_, he thought.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" Rin asked.

"What?"

"Will you play with Rin?"

"Jaken is the one entitled to that. Go find him."

"But," her lower lip puckered out, "Rin wants _you _to play with her."

_Perhaps if I asked for the Tetsusiaga politely this time… no, the damn half breed will only respond to brute force! Maybe if I chop off _his _arm…_

"Pleeeeaaase? Please, Sesshomaru-sama? Play with Rin?"

"No, I don't have time."

"But you _never _have time, not ever ever ever ever ever ever …"

Sesshomaru had taken Rin in only a couple months ago, after raising her from the dead with his Tenseiga, and she had been following him around ever since. He didn't know why she didn't just wander off to some nearby human village, nor the reason she would want to stay with him. But Rin's innocent, soft-hearted character made her the ideal companion and was pleasant to keep hanging around, he admitted.

When she wasn't acting like a brat.

"…ever ever ever ever ever ever…"

"Stop that racket, Rin!" Jaken snapped as he walked past carrying a large barrel of water for their two-headed dragon, "Can't you see the Almighty Sesshomaru-sama is clearly debating his next move against some vile, unknown evils that will certainly mean the difference between life and death!"

Yes, the Almighty Sesshomaru-sama had decided Ah-Un _would _be getting that bath; if he spent one more day smelling the foul stench he was going to suffocate himself.

"… ever ever ever ever," She took a deep breath, "NEVER EVER EVER - !"

"Rin, be silent," Sesshomaru said, "I am not going to play with you."

So he had been unprepared for her reaction.

First, Rin got that miserable look all children got a split second before the tears started rolling, and then her heart beat began picking up at a dangerous pace

"What are you…?" He watched her curiously.

She was holding her breath. Her heart-shaped face had puffed up, turning a deep shade of pink, red, and then blue…

"Rin, this Sesshomaru commands you to breathe."

**Two agonizing seconds later**

"Rin, this Sesshomaru will play with you if you will _please_ breathe."

"YAY!" she threw her arms around his neck. He patted her back awkwardly.

"What are we going to _play_?"

Giggling, the girl whispered in one of his pointed ears. He frowned.

"I do not understand."

This only brought on another round of giggling. Sesshomaru could feel one of his temples throb painfully.

~oOo~

"This is ridiculous."

"_Please_, Sesshomaru-sama? For Rin?"

"Yes, but what about my pride?"

"Ha ha! Silly Sesshomaru-sama! No one is here to see you, except Jaken."

"…I find little consolation in that," He closed his eyes and rubbed his aching forehead. He was beginning to forget why he had ever agreed to this.

He felt Rin run her hands across the width of his back, prompting. Sighing, Sesshomaru bent forward down onto his hands and knees, allowing Rin to throw one leg over his torso and grab two handfuls of his silver hair. He fought to conceal his growl of distaste.

She dug her heels into his side.

"Yah! C'mon youkai!"

One golden iris turned to glare at her. A sharp tug of his hair and he reluctantly began crawling forward with Rin on his back.

"_Enough _with the kicking," he snapped, swatting one of her feet away.

"Faster, you miserable youkai!" she grinned at him. He complied.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" Jaken sang, returning from the river with a clean load of clothes, "I have your kimono read…y?"

Both the daiyoukai and the girl froze. Jaken stared at them with an opened mouth.

"Uh… what are you doing, Sesshomaru-sama?"

Before he could answer, Rin cleared her throat loudly.

"This Sesshomaru was expecting a relieved welcome, Jaken. Not an interrogation."

The imp knitted his eyebrows together.

"I wasn't talking to you, Rin."

"Rin?" she scoffed, "Who is this 'Rin' you speak of? How _dare _you accuse this Sesshomaru, your master, of a false identity?"

He stared at her.

"_BOW TO ME, YOUKAI!_" she screamed, and withdrew a whip from the folds of her kimono, snapping it in the air just above the toad demon's head. He yelped and ducked behind a boulder.

"I've had just about enough of this," the real Sesshomaru snarled, sitting upright so that Rin fell from his back into a heap on the ground.

"Hey!" she whined, "This Sesshomaru did not say you could take a break, Ah-Un!"

"I am _NOT _Ah-Un!" he snapped, "And I'm finished playing this game."

"But-but-but-!" her bottom lip puckered out, "You _promised!_"

"Yes, a mistake, I know," he frowned at the green stains at the knees of his hakama.

"Sesshomaru-sama," Rin said quietly.

"No."

"But…"

"I said no!"

"Rin was having fun."

This made him pause. Sesshomaru raised his eyes to the girl, and could smell the sincere sadness radiating from her tiny frame. Her puppy brown eyes were rimmed with red, and her bottom lip quivered.

_Damn that lip_, he thought, as guilt hit him like a tidal wave. _I should have it sliced from her face, so as she can no longer use this ghastly power called cuteness to undermine me._

"Rin…" he said slowly, still glaring at her, "I… Hn. Very well, I will play with you again."

"YAY!"

"But," he said against her neck, as she had already run forward to embrace him. He gently pushed her away, "This Sesshomaru refuses to be anyone but himself."

"Hm…?" Rin said thoughtfully, "Who does Rin want to be…?"

She looked at her master. Even with the agitated scowl, the strong clutched jaw, and his eyebrows together in a sharp V, she thought the dog demon looked so handsome.

"Hm…" she played with the tips of his silver hair, brushing them against her cheek. She laughed when he snatched it from her grasp. He eyed her suspiciously.

"Rin knows who she wishes to be," she announced.

"Well?"

She climbed into his lap, whispering it again in one of his pointed ears.

Sesshomaru could feel himself break out into a cold sweat.

"Now really…" he said nervously. _Oh, Kami-sama, what have I DONE?_

"Sesshomaru-sama," Rin smiled, "It is just pretend."

~oOo~

"I am Lady of the West!"

Rin stepped out from between the oak trees, flaunting a small handheld fan. Sesshomaru fell in step behind her, showing faint amusement at the sight of his ward dressed in several layers of thick kimono adorned in the Inu clan colors. Her brown curls were pulled up to sit on top her head, held in place by large pink sakura combs.

Jaken and Ah-Un, as the audience, sat in the tall grass, watching with bored expressions as Rin spun in place, waving the fan and fluttering long lashes at the daiyoukai.

"My Mate, Sesshomaru-sama, what shall we do today?"

He simply raised an eyebrow at her. She gave him a pointed glare, until finally he sighed and began reluctantly reciting the lines the eight year old had carefully composed for him:

"The sun shines with a fiery heat of passion upon the Earth this day. I find not a cloud to blemish the crystalline blue of the sky. The wonders of nature entice me. The flyers fly, the creepers creep, the swimmers swim. Yet I could easily forsake them all, just to be with you, my Rin-chan. I will follow you in whatever you choose to do," Sesshomaru's jaw clenched again at the sight of Jaken and Ah-Un unsuccessfully trying to hold back their fits of laughter. The two headed dragon buried both his muzzles within a mound of dirt, his snorting and ramblings shook his large frame.

Jaken was considerably less discreet. Insufferably giggling transformed into high-pitched, open-mouth brays of some disgustingly sick animal. His sides pinched painfully as he rolled on the ground.

Sesshomaru would've killed the both of them had Rin not been gazing up at his face with such open admiration. He sincerely hoped she wasn't deluding herself into believing he was in love with her. Oh, Kami-sama, did he see the tenderness in those big chocolate eyes, and the soft smile that graced her face, making her dimples stand out. She was too innocent for her own good.

He blinked.

Sesshomaru had this feeling in his gut that he didn't quite understand; it made his stomach flutter like butterfly wings, this sensation was so light and happy. He hated it, so decided to vent out his frustration in the only way he knew how: He selected a good fist-size rock and chucked it at the chortling imp with his complete unreserved strength.

While Jaken withered in agony on the back of Ah-Un, Rin continued with her little game, stating all the things she would do now that she was Lady of the West. She requested a free distribution of food to the homeless and needy in their villages. She wished the restriction on wolf-poaching lifted to become available year-round, and wanted to grant higher paying wages to funny-looking green demons. Occasionally she asked Sesshomaru what he thought about something, which he took as his cue to agree and dote on his unwavering devotion and love for his mate and lady. He did this with his usual passive straight face, just to humor the girl; otherwise he would've been indifferent.

Finally, Rin hugged his knees.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama. Rin is _very _happy you played with her."

"Hn," he wanted to pretend that ridiculously cute smile on her face had passed unnoticed, "Enough of this playing around. We must leave." The daiyoukai turned to walk back to their campsite, making sure he causally kicked Jaken on his way by.

~oOo~

Part II

_**10 Years Later…**_

"Sesshomaru-sama!"

"Yes, Rin?" the dog youkai sighed, not bothering to open his eyes from his long session of meditation. He felt that he had almost achieved Enlightment… _so close_… yet the young woman's voice had jointed him back to reality much too quickly. _Foiled again, _he thought.

"What are you doing, Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Nothing."

"May I do nothing with you?" She had long ago given up referring to herself in the third person.

"If that is what you wish," he gestured to the vacant spot on the ground beside him.

_Focus, _he told himself, as Rin sat down cross-legged. _Forget everything… Loose yourself in the darkness of your eyes… This Sesshomaru _will _achieve the art of wanting nothing…_

"Sesshomaru-sama."

He growled his acknowledgement and she giggled.

His eyes snapped open, crimson red.

That did it. The inuyoukai had always been exceedingly tolerant of his female human, but today it deeply vexed him on the fact she thought of his irritation as light amusement. He was Sesshomaru, Lord of the West, for Kami's sake. His growls should strike fear in her heart, not make her _giggle._ It was an insult to his person.

"Rin…" he turned to glare at her.

A swift sweep over her body immediately wiped his memory clean of the nasty retort he had had ready on the tip of his tongue.

"Do you remember this, Sesshomaru-sama?" the woman stood to better show him the layered kimono she wore, "I had it made in a larger size, as the old one certainly couldn't fit me," she laughed, "Do you remember?"

"Indeed," his voice was much deeper than he would've liked.

Rin was wearing the layers of the Western Lady. The bright pink sakura combs were weaved into her dark brown hair, and she had even found the handheld fan that was now in use because of the hot summer heat. Sesshomaru found it extremely pleasing the way the silk fabric fitted tightly across her full bosom; the red obi defined that small waist for him. Her hips were mature with womanly curves. She slowly spun in place, allowing him a complete view of every angle to her, his amber eyes lightly pawed at his favorite places.

Sesshomaru stood, too, and reached out to run his fingers along the edges of her obi, and started to massage her hips with careful hands. Her skin was so soft… though suddenly he was irritated by the many layers she wore, despite how much it made her look like his mate. He eyed her long neck, thoughtfully. Perhaps he should show her a more convenient way to carry the markings of his clan... a way that didn't require any clothes.

"Sesshomaru-sama," Rin whispered, and he looked up to meet her eyes. Even after that most pleasing display of her body, he thought her wide chocolate irises her best feature. They were so deep and warm, and sparkled each time she looked at him.

And that lip.

That damn lower lip he had known from day one was to be the undoing of him, puckered out to him now, glistening with the wetness of her tongue as it quickly glided across the strip of pink flesh.

Rin heard Sesshomaru murmur something that sounded a lot like "To Hell with Nirvana," before he hungrily bent down to capture her lips. His mouth was soft, yet resoundingly persuasive as he coaxed her open to him. His hot tongue began to explore her moist cavern while he gently brushed her kimono aside on one shoulder, teasing the heated flesh with one hand. The other reached up to angle her head so as to deepen his kiss.

Sesshomaru felt her knees go weak, but it mattered little as he had wrapped his body around her in a manner sinfully loving with his hips pressed firmly to hers. He licked her lips once more before lowering them both to the grassy earth, the combs falling from her hair so it fanned out around her. He was ready, and he wanted her _now_.

"Sesshomaru-sama," Rin said, touching the daiyoukai stripes on his cheeks, stroking his angular jaw that was clenched in not anger, but anticipation. The half-starved hunger in his eyes slid over her body again. He wasn't certain if he wanted to take her slowly, or just shred the kimono with his claws. He was leaning toward the later.

"Rin wishes to ask you something, Sesshomaru-sama," she whispered.

Hearing her revert to her old childhood habit, the dog demon looked up at her curiously.

"This Sesshomaru is listening, Rin, though for how much longer is questionable." As he spoke he was loosening her red obi.

"_Please_," her cracked tone surprised him. It was unnaturally high and pleading. He paused in his work of undressing her. "Sesshomaru-sama, before you take Rin, can you please – please lie to her?" Her eyes rimmed with the threat of tears. "Lie to Rin, tell her you love her. Let Rin pretend Sesshomaru-sama is loving her, just like she always wanted."

The daiyoukai felt he could've melted where he lay. Her words actually made him forget briefly his cravings for her body, and momentarily all he could do was stare into her distraught face in silent awe. Several tears had spilled over her cheeks.

"Rin," he growled, and started lapping up the salty liquid that stained her face, "This Sesshomaru," he kissed her lashes, still damp with tears, "Will pretend he is not taking you on the hard, earthy ground," he untied the obi, "But is making love to you in the enclosed privacy of his bedchambers," his fangs nipped at her bottom lip. "I – I need you," he gasped, kissing her again. His hands came up to part the kimono. He gazed down at her creamy flesh in satisfaction, then pulled back, and said rather harshly: "This Sesshomaru does not _lie, _Rin."

The beautiful woman beamed up at him, fingering the sash that held his white hakama around his waist.

"Rin does not wish to just pretend any longer, Milord. Make Rin your lady."

Sesshomaru eagerly captured her lips and slid the kimono from her slim shoulders.

~oOo~


End file.
